Luke stood outside the Force-work arena, observing the class in session while he caught his breath. He had just arrived back from reporting to the Senate and could not wait to see Naluma.

"Focus. Use the Force to anticipate. Feel the Padawan around you and work together. Form a shield." Naluma walked behind the first- and second-year Padawans, adjusting arms and shifting legs.

She activated the twenty remotes with the Force and stepped behind the safety barrier in the Force-work room in the South Wing. Padded walls lined the perimeter, while thick pads tiled the floor. The ceiling rose four stories in height. Unlike the combat arena which had obstacles and platforms, this room was empty except for the small spectator area near the main hatch.

The Padawan deflected the first shots. However, as the barrage continued, two bolts out of three found their targets, numbing the Padawan.

Naluma looked on, shaking her head. "You have to be able to do this. Every mistake is a lost limb or a lost life. Again."

The Padawan groaned as the remotes fired up again. This round, two of the twelve Padawan were blocking the bolts.

Luke entered the arena. "Padawan, stand down."

Naluma jumped at Luke's voice. She turned to him, ready to hug him. His glare stopped her midway.

He Force-pushed the remotes to their storage shelf. "Padawan, extinguish your sabers. Practice pulling the remote to your hands and returning it to the shelf. Begin."

Luke grabbed Naluma and dragged her by the arm into the corridor. "What do you think you're doing? They aren't ready for concert work. They can't even feel the Force in other people yet."

"I'm teaching them how to survive. If they can't work together—"

Luke sensed the fear emanating from her. He raised his eyebrows. "The visions are back?"

Naluma nodded with tears in her eyes.

"The same?"

She shook her head. "I see faces—their faces," she cried pointing toward the arena. "They'll be slaughtered if they can't work together."

He embraced her and held her, allowing her to cry. "It's your hormones, Naluma. Doctor warned us about this. Force-visions are sent to strike fear and immobilize us."

"But what if it's a warning?" She pulled away from him. "Have you had any other leading from the Force?"

Luke turned his head away. He bit his lip and shook his head. "Nothing. Only a dark cloud obscuring everything."

"That should be a warning by itself, Luke. Remember the vision years ago? The darkness consuming the Order. This is it. It's coming. This is the only warning we're getting, and I'm not going to let them be unprepared."

She turned to the arena, but Luke grabbed her arm. "Wait. Pairs and then groups. Levitation first, then Force-sight, then combat."

He followed her into the arena as they both demonstrated concert levitation work.

"Padawan, stand down. Very good," Naluma said. "Bring your training spheres to the center of the arena and form up around them."

Luke and Naluma stepped forward together into the center.

As they stood side-by-side, she said, "Watch with your Force-sight. Do you see my signature? Good. Do you see Master Luke's? Now watch as we combine together."

Luke felt the click once more with Naluma. It had been a long time since they had worked like this together, but their years together made this maneuver second-nature.

Padawan Meh'ruv asked, "Who's in control?"

Luke said, "Neither. We are both in complete harmony, allowing the Force to flow between each other."

"Well, what happens if one person wants to do one thing and the other something else?"

"The merge will break." Let's grab that sphere and raise it, then try to pull it to each of us, Luke suggested. "Watch."

Naluma nodded as she raised her hand. Luke's mirrored hers. The remote jumped to eye-level, but then it stood there, as they both tried to pull it. As they extended more power over the object, it dropped between them.

"Wow!" Padawan Zafu said.

"Do you have to be next to each other for it to work?" Che asked.

Naluma said, "No. We'll split to opposite ends of the room and then merge again. Keep your Force-sight open."

When they were in position, Luke held out his hand. Naluma grabbed it. They both reached out to a remote, lifted it, and pushed it back to the shelf.

"Pair up," Luke said. "Pick the partner you work best with."

The training session continued two extra hours, moving from Force-push to Force-sight work, complete with training blinders and sabers set to stun. Luke and Naluma programmed the remotes and then moved them around contrary to their programming. They all worked tirelessly with little results.

"Enough. Meal time. Clean up," Luke said.

A sigh of relief resounded around the arena from the exhausted Padawan. "Return here first thing tomorrow. All other classes are cancelled."

Thank you. Naluma wrapped her arm around Luke's waist and rested her head on his shoulder.

After dinner, Luke and Naluma retired to the study. While he built the fire to ward off the late-spring chill, she pulled out a pocket-sized hologram projector and set it on the table.

She was tugging on her boots when he joined her on the couch. He raised his eyebrows at her in question and then grabbed the boot.

"You may have to use the Force to get it off," she joked.

With one final tug, the boot came off. "Wow! Look at the size of that thing," Luke said. "It's the size of this meilooron." He pulled the large fruit from behind him.

She snatched it from him. "Meilooron?" As she took a bite, she asked, "Where did you find it? I've been craving this for weeks." She finished the fruit in a few bites.

"I know. Hosnian. Few more surprises on the shuttle." He pulled her other boot off and grabbed her legs. "Turn." As he peeled off her socks, he place her legs on his laps and began to massage her feet.

"Ahh. When you're done there, you can move to my back." Naluma sighed. She gasped when she felt his Force fingers on her back, kneading at the tight muscles. "Ooh. Multi-tasking. I like it."

Luke's eyes caught the holo projector on the table. "What's that?"

Naluma grabbed it with the Force and activated it. In the blue light, a small boy scrunched up appeared. "Our baby—34 weeks."

Luke moved his hands to the image, tracing over the form. "He has your hair," he said in wonder.

"But the rest is all you. Even has your smile," Naluma whispered as meilooron juice ran down her chin.

Naluma set the fruit core on the table before she grabbed his hands and placed them on her stomach. "Reach out. Tell me what you feel."

Luke closed his eyes and extended his Force senses to his son. He broke into a wide smile. "I feel his emotions. He's happy. He likes the meilooron. He knows you. So much love coming from him."

Naluma bit her lip and blinked her eyes, keeping the emotional tears back. "I can't explain the love I have for him, Luke. Being able to feel his love for me only intensifies it. I wonder if Leia felt like this with Ben and Breha."

Luke reached into her being, sharing her emotions. "I feel it, Naluma. It's affecting me, too."

"Then you know why I have to protect him, no matter it takes."

Luke nodded.

Naluma became silent as they held their hands to her extended belly.

"Just think, only a few more weeks. Then we can hold him." Luke moved his hand quickly. "What was that?"

"That was his left foot. He's a kicker. I think he's a lefty, too, just like you." She rested her head on his shoulder.

"His left foot? Shouldn't that be his right?"

Naluma shook her head. "He's already moved head-down. Doctor said he may come a few weeks early. I can't wait to hold him and kiss him and protect him."

Luke's eyes grew wider as reality hit. "Tomorrow night, I'm going to start work on our suite, build out an alcove for the crib. Then I'll put the crib together. Wait 'til you see it."

"No."

"What? He's going need a place to sleep, Naluma."

She unhooked her arm from his and sat up, removing all contact from him. Staring at the flames in the fireplace, she said with a flat tone, "I'm leaving the Order, Luke."

"What?" Luke murmured.

"I'm not coming back here. I have to protect Anakin, and I cannot do that here. There's danger here. I've seen it."

Luke sucked in his breath, meditating. "Have you meditated on this?"

"Yes. What's the Force telling you?"

"Nothing. It's only darkness."

"Well, it's telling me a lot—the vision—it is a warning. I know I have to get Anakin out of here. I'd leave tomorrow if I could."

"You're that sure?"

She nodded.

"Ahch-To?"

She shook her head. "Not with a newborn. Naboo. Breha will need a teacher, and then I can protect Leia and her, too."

"What about me?"

"Come with me."

"I'm not leaving the Order, Naluma." Luke pulled her back to him. "Wait until after he's born. We can set up the nursery here. Let everyone think you're coming back. Then, after he's born, head to a safe haven. I think it might be time to move Leia and Breha, too."

"You mean it?"

Luke nodded. "I feel the danger, too. Maybe Tatooine. It's a good place to hide."

He kissed her on the top of her head and placed his hand on her belly once more.

Naluma leaned back into his chest, trying to get the vision out of her head.